Going through menopause at a late age is an established risk factor for breast cancer. Studies show that women who go through menopause after age 55 have twice the risk of breast cancer as women who do so before age 45 [106]. This increase is likely linked to the amount of estrogen a woman is exposed to in her life. A higher lifetime exposure to estrogen is related to an increase in breast cancer risk. The later a woman goes through menopause, the longer her breast tissue is exposed to estrogens that are released during the menstrual cycle, and the greater her lifetime exposure to estrogen.
Learn more about estrogen and breast cancer risk.
Updated 11/09/09
